Tony Stewart

JonesNTN · May 16, 2004

I don't know whats up with Stewart. Can't this guy manage to say something respectful or at least be positive sometimes? I don't think waht he said about Darrell was necessary or even helped him prove anything.

SilveradoWV · May 16, 2004

I thought it was pretty funny!!! And pretty much true!!!

Hecktorx · May 16, 2004

I'm tired of Waltrip and his "Nascar should do this....... and Nascar should do that....". I'm glad somebody finally told him to shut up. I was laughing my @ss off.

Elwood · May 16, 2004

Sorry I missed it. Our stupid cable here has been screwed up and we don't get the channels past 58 anymore, and FX was one of them (62). So I went to see Van Helsing.

What did Stewart say?

SilveradoWV · May 16, 2004

MY VERSION:

They were interviewing Tony before the race askin about the last race with him beatin and bangin everyone and how some drivers (Rusty) was mad at him. He said all that was blown out of proportion by Darrell, Larry Mac and the others (which I agree with). Tony said he already talked to Rusty and got it all resolved and everything and that he wouldnt be gettin such a hard time about it if it wasnt for DW and the guys in the booth who keep bringin it up and bringin it up after he had already settled things with Rusty etc... So Darrell said something and then Tony said something like "Everyone knows DW wouldnt have even made a race in his last 2 years of racing if it wasnt for the past champs provisional" HAHAHAHA TRUE!!! So after the race they interviewed Tony again and he said something like if it was up to DW he (Tony) should be suspended because he bumped someone out there again and so did 20 other guys.

This is just what I remember from the race, I personally think Darrell must have said something to or about Tony off the camera over the past week or something to set him off cuz I really dont think Tony cares a whole lot about what Darrell thinks about him. So I think DW said something to him or about him because Tony wouldnt really go on and on about DW if nothing was said.

Elwood · May 17, 2004

I just got this article of Yahoo Sports...At first I was giving Stewart the benefit of the doubt with all of this stuff this season, but honestly he is starting to look like Jimmy Spencer used to look. And with an attitude like he has with what is said at the end of this article I wouldn't mind if he did quit.

Stewart on defensive again after Richmond

By HANK KURZ Jr., AP Sports Writer

May 16, 2004

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- It's becoming a common post-race scene in NASCAR's top series: Dale Earnhardt Jr. celebrating a victory and at least one driver lamenting how Tony Stewart cost him a chance at winning.

This time, Stewart incurred the ire of four-time series champion Jeff Gordon, nudging him wide with 41 laps to go in Saturday night's Chevy American Revolution 400 as a long sprint to the finish unfolded.

And while Earnhardt took the suspense out of the finish with a lights-out run to his third Nextel Cup victory of the season, Gordon was left fuming.

``We're seeing it every weekend and you think a guy getting abused by the media and the drivers would start thinking a little bit more,'' Gordon said after saving his car and hanging on to finish sixth.

``He had a much faster car, fresher tires, got inside of me and the position was his and he just drove straight into me and put me in the wall and about put himself in the wall,'' Gordon said. ``It cost us a top five.''

Stewart said his car slipped in some oil dry that had been put down after an earlier crash and that he wasn't trying to ease Gordon aside.

``I had a top-three night until I ran into the No. 24,'' he said.

But recent history isn't working in Stewart's favor.

The episode made it three straight races in which Stewart has had some explaining to do, and the second time he has had a run-in with Gordon.

Three weeks earlier at Talladega, Kurt Busch criticized the 2002 series champion for wild driving after Stewart hit Busch, starting a 10-car crash. Three of the cars were carried off the track on flatbed trucks.

NASCAR officials warned Stewart twice to calm down during that event, and Stewart responded by hitting Terry Labonte after the race while trying to take a shortcut to the pit lane to avoid debris on the track.

The following week, NASCAR summoned Stewart for a chat two days before the race, but Stewart banged both Gordon and Rusty Wallace during the race. Gordon went on to win, and Wallace said he wasn't sure what Stewart's problem was and that he wanted to ``whip his rear end.''

Wallace and Stewart later made up, but even Stewart knew that Gordon would be less inclined to be so forgiving after their tangle Saturday.

``I'm sure Jeff thinks I tried to take him out,'' he said. ``But that's the only incident we had all night. We had a pretty clean night. There were a lot of guys with body rubs and stuff. If contact gets you a suspension for a race or two, we'll only have about 18 cars next week.''

Stewart has been a noted hothead since he arrived on the NASCAR scene, and has suggested often that the responsibilities of stardom outside the race car could eventually drive him back to racing Sprint cars.

``At least you're allowed to race there,'' he said.

antig24 · May 17, 2004

Even though I do agree with Tony that the media blows things out of proportions, what he said to DW was totally disrespectful.

JonesNTN · May 17, 2004

Ok, here we go. I had the race on PVR, so here is my best attempt at what was said..

(Video of this years altercations such)

Matt Yocum - A few random incidents starting with Bristol and, Tony are people making too much of the on track stuff or maybe are there some hidden frustrations about the fact you haven't won this year?

Tony Stewart - Ah, there's no hidden frustrations, I think the people that are blowin it out of proportion are you know uh, Mike Joy, Larry Mcreynolds, and Darrell Waltrip up in the booth. Nobody else has been complaning about it, you know Darrell, uh not Darrell, but Rusty and I talked when we saw each other, you know two days ago at the airport and we were just kinda laughing about it, shook hands and went on and you know our fans in Missouri and Knoxville Iowa that came out and watched us run the sprint car. they stood out in the rain for a half hour in the infield in the rain to get autographs, so its funny I keep watching the replays of the race after I get home listening to Darrell and Mike Joy and Mcreynolds just like, uh you keep watching the screen waiting on "Tatoo" to come by in his little white tuxedo welcoming everybody to Fantasy Island.

(Yocum asks about whether the race will be easy or not based on Stewarts previous successes Stewart Responds)

Darrell Waltrip - Hey, um Matt, ask Tony, Ton this is a reality show and uh you know, what we uh, I told him this the other night when I saw him, and we just talk about what we see and the one thing we see is a common denominator of him involed with alot of other folks. You know so, I mean were not picking on him, we just are telling what we see.

(Matt relays Darrell's Comment since Tony couldn't hear)

Tony - Yeah I Know, Darrell's memory kinda gets a little screwed up sometimes. I guess he forgets with all of the rule changes he wants Nascar to make he forgets that if they would have changed the rules and took the Champions provisional away he wouldn't have been able to race the last two years. So, I know Darrell's doing what he has to do, his job but I think there is alot of times what you see on the screen isn't the whole total story and I think they have done a real good job in the booth of blowing things way out of proportion like they normally do, I guess thats probably what they need to do for ratings, which I think our sport is doing a pretty good job for ratings without having to butcher up what they see on the screen.

(Chis Meyers points out the drivers that have complined about Stewart this season, Darrell says he is just saying that Tony is a common denominator in alot of incidents, Chris the reminds the audience of Darrell's racing history and that also Tony hasn't won this year. Further exchanges.......)

After the race....

Yocum - Great car tonite, what happened on that last run?

Stewart - I got a little loose and got in to Jeff Gordon, and i am sure Darrell and those guys are lobbying for me to get suspended for life from Nascar, but that was the only incident we had all night, we had a pretty clean night, lot of guys out there with body rubs tonite, so I am sure if Darrell has his way there, and contact gets you a suspension for a race or two, we will only have 18 cars next week so it ought to be interesting running with only 18 cars next week , but i'm happy. (Talks about how he has had a migrane before happy hour and that Zippy's been sick.Also mentions how nobody else can do his or Zippy's job. He also says that somebody told him there was a "Tattoo" spotting earlier tonight)

A fine example this person sets for todays youth. Tony needs to realize he has a problem, and grow up. If it wasn't for Joe Gibbs and Home Depot keeping this guy under control, he would have really let his attitude get the best of him.

My mother is a Stewart fan, but the funny thing is she was DW's biggest fan ever. She is seriously reconsidering her support for Stewart. Not just because of saturday night, but she has recognized his behavior over this whole season.

Elwood · May 17, 2004

Stewart running his mouth isn't what bother's me. He can do that all he wants...DW used to do it all the time. Causing a wreck out of frustration once in a season, well I don't necessarily like it, but I can live with it, because sometimes you make bad decisions in the heat of the moment. Even doing it twice I might let a person by with, if the incidents were not too close together. But Stewart is making a habit of wrecking people this year, and that is the problem I have.

I see other drivers like Jeff Gordon, Dale Jr., Matt Kenseth, and countless others run up on slower cars and even thought they are frustrated they wait until they get a chance, then they pass them. If it takes too long they might nudge them a little, but that's it. Stewart just plows into them and goes on. Jusst watch the replay of when he wrecked Busch a few weeks back and listen to the in car audio from Jeff Burton as it happens, that pretty much explains Stewarts actions perfectly this season, and also shows exactly how alot of drivers and fans are starting to feel about him.

oldtimer · May 19, 2004

I think Tony is exactly right DW is a pain and should get out of calling races. He thinks he knows everything. There is a reason why DW is pushing Toyota is because the other big three didn't want his help. Stewart does walk the line alot but that is why he is a good driver.

gave20 · May 19, 2004

I see other drivers like Jeff Gordon, Dale Jr., Matt Kenseth, and countless others run up on slower cars and even thought they are frustrated they wait until they get a chance, then they pass them. If it takes too long they might nudge them a little, but that's it.

Do you recall the incident at Bristol, if not they show it every race to promote trackpass-where Gordon pushs Rusty out of the way to end his losing streak and Rusty says " He got into me just like he did 4 years ago." The cars have fenders: Earnhardt used them, Gordon used them Waltrip used them; everyone has wrecked someone else at some point. Controversy breeds ratings which Fox needs, but the horse is a mushy mess; its time for the reporters to cover something else. All this aside Stewart should have been more tactful with Waltrip out of respect, but Waltrip should also watch what he writes as well.

Hecktorx · May 19, 2004

Watching a race live, especially a short track, and on TV is 2 different things. When your watching on TV, you're at the mercy of what ever the camera decides to show. When you're there, you watch what you want. And when your there, you see all these guys run into each other.

I guess DW is right, it is a reality. And just like a reality show, they show the clips they want to show. This can lead to false perceptions, as Gave20 said. Where was all this media coverage last year when the 24 car was running over people.

I guess I'm a little biased though. I can't stand DW. I didn't like him in the eighties, I didn't like him when he field filled throughout the 90s, and I hate him as a commentator.

Elwood · May 19, 2004

I see other drivers like Jeff Gordon, Dale Jr., Matt Kenseth, and countless others run up on slower cars and even thought they are frustrated they wait until they get a chance, then they pass them. If it takes too long they might nudge them a little, but that's it.

Do you recall the incident at Bristol, if not they show it every race to promote trackpass-where Gordon pushs Rusty out of the way to end his losing streak and Rusty says " He got into me just like he did 4 years ago." The cars have fenders: Earnhardt used them, Gordon used them Waltrip used them; everyone has wrecked someone else at some point. Controversy breeds ratings which Fox needs, but the horse is a mushy mess; its time for the reporters to cover something else. All this aside Stewart should have been more tactful with Waltrip out of respect, but Waltrip should also watch what he writes as well.

Oh yeah I definately recall that, because I'm a Ruty fan.

But my point about all of this is, that usually the media talks about this stuff about one person or another, but when the drivers start continually talking about the same person too then I think it is time for that person to calm down. If he doesn't he's going to end up like Spencer did a few years back when nobody would race with him because of a fear of being wrecked and he'll get no help on the tracks where he needs them, and possibly wrecked on others just to keep him from wrecking you.